Combined bridge and tail-piece for musical instruments



(No Model.)

W. P. OWEN & c.- L. EGGERT, Jr.

COMBINED BRIDGE AND TAIL PIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Patented Ja l.

W1] WESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM PENN. OWEN AND CARL LEWIS EGGERT, JR, OF J OPLIN,

' MISSOURI.

COMBINED BRIDGE AND TAIL-PIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,213, dated January 17, 1893.

Application filed June 17,1892. Serial No. 437,034:- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM PENN OWEN and CARL LEWIS Eeonar, J12, both residents of Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Bridges and Tail-Pieces for Musical Instruments; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the in-= vention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in combined bridgesand tail-pieces for guitars, banjos, and other similar stringed musical instruments.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved device for use in connection with stringed musical instruments which shall possess superior advantages with respect to efliciency, and which shall also be very ornamental in appearance.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combined bridge and tail-piece constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is a side or edge view of the same; Fig. 3 is a front elevation view of the same; Fig. at is a'perspective view of a modified construction; Fig. 5 is a view of. the plate on which the bridge rests.

In the said drawings the numeral 1 denotes the tail-piece consisting of a piece of metal bent over forming two arms and also bent at right angles forming a downwardly depending arm 2, which is to be attached to a guitar, banjo, or other similar instrument in the ordinary or in any suitable manner. The ends of this metal piece are formed with a series of teeth or serrations 3, which engage with similar teeth 4, formed on the ends of two bars 5. These bars 5 are provided with loops 6 which embrace the end of the tail-piece and are also formed with slots 7 for the passage of screws 8, secured to the tail-piece.

The numeral 9 denotes binding nuts fitting on the screws 8,

Secured to the bars 5 is a transverse rod 10, to which the strings of the instrument are secured and which takes the place of the ordinary bridge. Fitting in each end of this rod is an eccentric 12, for the purpose of adjusting the height thereof.

Secured to the instrument about where the ordinary bridge is located, is a plate 13 to prevent marring of the instrument.

The operation will be readily understood: The tail-piece is secured to the instrument in any suitable manner and the strings of the instrument are secured to the cross-bar or rod 10. The bridge is adjustable by means of the screws and binding nuts so that their length maybe regulated. The transverse bar or rod may also be raised and lowered by means of the eccentrics so as to suit the instrument or performer.

The advantages of our invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it pertains and need not be enumerated herein.

In Fig. 4 we have shown a modified construction in which the tail-piece is formed from a piece of wire bent over similarly to that shown in Fig. 1. The ends of this tailpiece are provided with rotatable screwthreaded swivels 14; which receive the screwthreaded rods 15, to which the transverse rod 10, constituting the bridge is secured. By rotating the swivels 14, the bridge can be horizontally adjusted. The bridge 10 at each end is provided with a screw-threaded aperture through which pass headed screws 16, by which said bridge may be adjusted vertically.

Having thus fully described our invention, what We claim is: v

1. A combined tail piece and bridge for stringed musical instruments adj ustably connected so that the bridge can be adjusted horizontally to lengthen or shorten the strings, and said bridge provided with means for adjusting it vertically with respect to the sound board, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a tail piece adapted to be applied to astringed musical instrument, of the adjustable bridge connected therewith and the eccentrics on the end of the transverse bar of the bridge, for regulating the distance of the latter from the instru- In testimony that we claim the foregoing as IO ment, substantially as described. our own we have hereunto affixed our signa- 3. The combination with the tail-piecehavtures in presence of two witnesses. ing the teeth or serrations and adapted to be VILLIAM PENN OWEN 5 secured to a strin ed musical instrument of vi the slot-ted arms having teeth or serrations, CARL LEWIb EGGERL the screws and binding nuts, the transverse Witnesses: bar and the eccentrics, substantially as de- SILAS. T. FENN, scribed. M. LENTZ. 

